Annals Of Work Exposures and Health最新文献

{"title":"HBM4EU chromates study: the Portuguese integrated and harmonized study on exposure to hexavalent chromium and related early effects.","authors":"Susana Viegas, Carla Martins, Edna Ribeiro, Carina Ladeira, Hermínia Pinhal, Ana Nogueira, Sílvia Santos, Ana Tavares, Bruno Costa Gomes, Catarina Maia Afonso, Henriqueta Louro, Maria João Silva","doi":"10.1093/annweh/wxae091","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/annweh/wxae091","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In the scope of the European Union (EU) human biomonitoring initiative, a multicentric study on different occupational settings from several European countries was performed, to provide information on occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)], a known lung carcinogen. Biomonitoring approaches were used to obtain exposure data to support the implementation of new risk management measures and policy actions at the national and European levels. This work describes the Portuguese contribution to the study, which aimed to assess workers' exposure to Cr, by using exposure biomarkers (urinary chromium [U-Cr]), and industrial hygiene samples (air and hand wipes) and to link exposure to potential long-term health effects by using effect biomarkers. Exposure determinants influencing exposure were explored from the contextual information and human biomonitoring data. The ultimate goal of the study was to appraise the risk management measures contributing to minimize exposure and protect workers' health. Several occupational settings and activities were considered, including plating, welding, and painting. A control group from the Portuguese general population was also included. Data on age, sex, and smoking habits from both groups were considered in the statistical analysis. Information on the risk management measures available for workers was collected and used to identify the ones that mainly contributed to reduce exposure. Environmental monitoring and human biomonitoring revealed that painters were the highest exposed group. The use of respiratory protection equipment showed an influence on total U-Cr levels for workers involved in painting activities. Concerning early health effects, the painters presented also a significantly higher level of DNA and chromosomal damage in peripheral blood cells, as compared to the control group, suggesting a plausible association between exposure to Cr(VI) and early genotoxic effects. The results showed that workers are exposed to Cr(VI) in those occupational settings. These findings point to the need to improve the prevention and risk management measures and the implementation and enforcement of new regulatory actions at the national level.</p>","PeriodicalId":8362,"journal":{"name":"Annals Of Work Exposures and Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142827272","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Health effects of repeated exposures during wildland firefighting: a data-linkage cohort study from Alberta, Canada.","authors":"Nicola Cherry, Mike Fedun, Jean-Michel Galarneau, Doryen Senkevics, Tanis Zadunayski","doi":"10.1093/annweh/wxae089","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/annweh/wxae089","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Very little is known about the effects on the health of work as a wildland firefighter over repeated fire seasons. In Alberta, where the fire season runs from 1 March to 31 October, the great majority of firefighters are hired seasonally. We examined whether there was a dose-response relationship between hours of firefighting and ill-health.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cohort was established linking employment records from Alberta Wildfire to administrative health data and cancer records. The employment records contained information on each deployment for all firefighters with employment from 1998 to 2022. Health records had details of diagnoses recorded at all physician consultations for the same period. Cancer records included diagnostic information for all confirmed cancers in the province. Exposure indices (hours worked) were related to health outcomes, with relative risk estimated by multilevel Poisson regression, using data lagged by 10 years for cancer outcomes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 16,816 firefighters with employment records, 12,731 were matched on name, age, and sex in health records and were living in Alberta at the end of at least one fiscal year. One in three had only been employed for one fire season with 10% employed in 10 or more years. The overall mean cumulative exposure was 795 h with 568 h of sustained attack (SA). In multivariable regression, adjusted for age, sex, and inferred First Nation origin, the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pneumonia increased with hours of firefighting on foot and decreased with fighting less complex fires or holding a permanent appointment. Hours of firefighting in the year of health report were protective for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mental ill-health but the risk of injury from external causes increased with firefighting hours. The risk of COPD, pneumonia, and asthma increased with cumulative hours over multiple fire seasons of SA firefighting and decreased with cumulative hours fighting less complex fires. Risks of CVD and mental ill-health were also positively related to cumulative hours of SA. No increase in risk was found with cancer incidence (all cancers, bladder cancer, lung cancer, skin: melanoma or nonmelanoma), with exposures unlagged or lagged by 10 years.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Wildland firefighters were found to be at increased risk of lung conditions, both acutely in the year of firefighting and in subsequent years. No increased risk was found for cancer.</p>","PeriodicalId":8362,"journal":{"name":"Annals Of Work Exposures and Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142749775","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of Korean CARcinogen EXposure: occupation-based exposure matrix.","authors":"Dong-Hee Koh, Sangjun Choi, Ju-Hyun Park, Sang-Gil Lee, Hwan-Cheol Kim, Inah Kim, Jeehee Min, Yujin Kim, Dong-Uk Park","doi":"10.1093/annweh/wxae090","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/annweh/wxae090","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Information systems focusing on occupational carcinogen exposure, whether categorized by industry or occupation, play a pivotal role in the prevention of occupational cancers. Recently, the Korean CARcinogen EXposure (K-CAREX) system was developed to assess carcinogen exposure by industry. However, corresponding information categorized by occupation has yet to be developed. This study aimed to develop an occupation-based exposure matrix for occupational carcinogens as an extension of the K-CAREX framework.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The Work Environment Measurement Database (WEMD) and the Special Health Examination Database (SHED) were combined to estimate exposure intensity by occupation. The WEMD supplied exposure levels, whereas the SHED provided occupation information. Additionally, the SHED served as the primary data source for constructing an indicator of exposure prevalence by occupation, utilizing standard occupational classification.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 22 carcinogens were selected for evaluating exposure intensity, and 20 carcinogens were selected for assessing exposure prevalence. Exposure intensity and prevalence were assigned to 156 occupational groups based on these carcinogens. For instance, in terms of welding fume exposure, welders were assigned an exposure intensity rating of 3 and exhibited exposure prevalence of 26%.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings complement the previously developed K-CAREX, which offered an industry-based exposure matrix. The resultant comprehensive K-CAREX, incorporating both industry- and occupation-based matrices, can be utilized for occupational cancer prevention and epidemiological studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":8362,"journal":{"name":"Annals Of Work Exposures and Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142738308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Measuring improvements in occupational health and safety in the artificial stone benchtop industry.","authors":"Fiona Hore-Lacy, Stella May Gwini, Christina Dimitriadis, Javier Jimenez-Martin, Ryan F Hoy, Jane Fisher, Malcolm R Sim, Karen Walker-Bone, Deborah C Glass","doi":"10.1093/annweh/wxae084","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/annweh/wxae084","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Workers in the stone benchtop industry in Australia are at high risk of silicosis due to exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) from the dry processing of artificial stone. In Victoria, Australia, a multifaceted response including education, regulatory changes, inspection site visits, and occupational health screening programme began in 2019. We aimed to review the success of this approach to safety practices in the industry.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data were available from 2 sources: first, responses provided by workers during their occupational health screening (2019 to 2024), which included a systematic occupational history. Jobs examined included roles in the stone benchtop industry with RCS exposure and were analysed in relation to reported safety practices pre and postregulatory changes in August 2019, which prohibited unrestricted dry cutting. Second, data were obtained from the Regulator describing the numbers of visits to industry worksites and the numbers and types of compliance notices issued between 2018 and 2024.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In total, 1921 jobs from 1007 workers were eligible for analysis, of which 869 were prior to the 2019 regulatory change and 557 commenced after. The proportion of workers reporting \"never\" dry cutting rose from 17.3% to 67.2% (P < 0.001), use of recommended ventilation and respirator increased from 26.0% to 36.5% (P < 0.001), and 44.9% to 86.5% (P < 0.001), respectively. Of the 543 worksites visited (2757 site visits in total), 352 (64.8%) received at least one compliance notice and the types of notices varied over time. Administrative controls/housekeeping and health monitoring notices were the most common in 2019 to 2021 but tools/equipment notices increased substantially in 2022 onwards.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Prior to the changes, a large proportion of jobs involved unrestricted dry processing of artificial stone with inadequate protection. After the changes, practices improved although some jobs continued to involve dry processing without adequate control of dust.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This multifaceted approach vastly improved safety practices in the stone benchtop industry over 5 years. These data are relevant to occupational health and safety professionals and regulators in countries where artificial stone is used and potentially for implementation of new measures in response to a new workplace hazard in future.</p>","PeriodicalId":8362,"journal":{"name":"Annals Of Work Exposures and Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142725071","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Occupational exposure to aerosols in two French airports: multi-year lung function changes.","authors":"Léa Touri, Adeline Tarantini, Carey Suehs, Erika Nogué, Caroline Marie-Desvergne, Muriel Dubosson, Ambre Dauba, Jean-Luc Ravanat, Véronique Chamel, Michel Klerlein, Sébastien Artous, Dominique Locatelli, Sébastien Jacquinot, Pascal Chanez, Isabelle Vachier, Nicolas Molinari","doi":"10.1093/annweh/wxae087","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/annweh/wxae087","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As differential exposure to airport-generated aerosols may affect employee lung function, the main objective of this study was to longitudinally evaluate spirometry measures among Air France employees. In addition, an exploratory exposure assessment to airport aerosol was performed in a small cohort of workers using personal monitoring devices. Change in lung function over a ~6.6-yr period was documented for office workers (n = 68) and mechanics (n = 83) at Paris-Roissy airport, France and terminal (n = 29), or apron (n = 35) workers at Marseille airport, France. Overall, an excessive decline in lung function was found for 24.75% of airport workers; excessive decline occurred more often for terminal workers (44.83%) as compared to mechanics (14.47%; P = 0.0056), with a similar tendency for apron workers (35.29%) as compared to mechanics (P = 0.0785). Statistically significant differences/tendencies were detected among the yearly rates of change for %-predicted values of forced expiratory volume in 1 s, forced vital capacity, peak expiratory flow, and from 25% to 75% forced expiratory flow. For the latter variables, the terminal and/or apron workers at Marseille generally had significantly faster lung function decline as compared to office workers and/or mechanics in Paris, although the latter were exposed to a higher level of elemental carbon. No relation between lung function decline and exposure to airport tarmac environments was evidenced. Multivariate exploration of individual variables representing sex, smoking, atopy, respiratory disease, residential PM2.5 pollution, the peak size of particles in lung exhalates or exhaled carbon monoxide at the time of follow-up failed to explain the observed differences. In conclusion, this study documents the first evidence of excessive lung function decline among certain airport workers in France, although the identification of emission sources (environmental factors, aircraft exhaust, etc) remains challenging.</p>","PeriodicalId":8362,"journal":{"name":"Annals Of Work Exposures and Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142708963","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A cross-sectional study on occupational hygiene in biowaste plants.","authors":"Anne Mette Madsen, Pil Uthaug Rasmussen, Mohammad Seeiar Delsuz, Margit W Frederiksen","doi":"10.1093/annweh/wxae074","DOIUrl":"10.1093/annweh/wxae074","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recycling demands are increasing and new biowaste plants are established. The aim of this study is to obtain knowledge about occupational hygiene in biowaste pretreatment plants. At 6 plants, bioaerosol exposure, hand hygiene, and bioaerosol concentrations in work areas were investigated repeatedly. The total inflammatory potential (TIP) of exposures was measured using the human HL-60 cell line. Exposure to airborne bacteria, bacteria able to grow anaerobic, fungi(37°C), endotoxin, and TIP differed between plants and was lowest in a plant transporting waste in closed pipes compared to plants where waste was delivered on the receiving hall floor. Conversely, high exposures were measured in a plant that also processes compost. All microbial components had an impact on TIP of workers' exposure with main effects of fungi and endotoxin. Seasonality was found for several exposures and TIP, and they were lowest in the winter. Concentrations of bacteria and fungi on workers' hands at the end of the workday were 15 times higher for production than for nonproduction workers. In work areas, the concentrations of airborne fungi were highest in the waste-receiving area. Bacteria (3.2 µm) and anaerobic bacteria (4.0 µm) were present as larger airborne particles than fungi (2.8 µm), and bacteria were largest in the waste-receiving area. The microbial community compositions of exposures and work areas differed between plants and work areas. In conclusion, measures to reduce exposure should focus on the waste-receiving area and on the production workers. Differences in exposures and community compositions were found between seasons, work areas, work groups, and plants.</p>","PeriodicalId":8362,"journal":{"name":"Annals Of Work Exposures and Health","volume":" ","pages":"967-981"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11586275/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142306996","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Managing SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk in workplace COVID-19 outbreaks.","authors":"Vince Sandys, Andrew Simpson, Chris Keen, Yiqun Chen","doi":"10.1093/annweh/wxae070","DOIUrl":"10.1093/annweh/wxae070","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>A Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) workplace outbreak is a risk to the health of workers and business continuity. To minimise this risk, companies have implemented risk management measures (RMMs) designed to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 transmission within the workforce. The objective of this work was to gather insights into the application of RMMs in non-healthcare workplaces and to improve understanding of the practical barriers to their implementation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data were collected using a pre-designed framework from 12 volunteer workplaces through discussions with staff responsible for site safety and during site visits to observe the RMMs and work processes. To evaluate ventilation effectiveness, measurements for carbon dioxide (CO2) were taken during the site visit and logged over an extended period in selected occupied areas.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>RMMs that were implemented well included working at home for office and other non-production staff, provision, and use of face coverings, provision for hand hygiene, and as methods became commonly available, carrying out testing for infected people. However, maintaining adequate physical distancing in many production areas proved difficult because established factory layouts cannot be easily changed and there is often a need for workers to be close to each other to communicate. A major shortcoming identified was the understanding and application of measures to improve workplace ventilation. Rapidly installing and/or upgrading mechanical ventilation systems during a pandemic may not be practical and ideally should be considered in building design. Measuring CO2 in occupied workspaces proved to be a useful tool for identifying areas with potentially inadequate ventilation.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Preventing workplace attendance by identifying infected individuals is challenging, making effective RMMs crucial to mitigating virus transmission. The effectiveness of individual RMMs can be uncertain; therefore, it is necessary to adopt multilayered RMMs. Successful implementation relies on measures that are specific to individual workplaces, identified by accurate risk assessment, regularly reviewed for effectiveness, and worker compliance. Establishing suitable risk mitigation policies and providing staff supervision are vital to ensure the sustained and effective implementation of RMMs. For RMMs that require technical understanding, such as workplace ventilation systems, specialist support may be necessary to ensure effective implementation.</p>","PeriodicalId":8362,"journal":{"name":"Annals Of Work Exposures and Health","volume":" ","pages":"982-991"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141970524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"\"Why should care workers be any different from prison workers?\" A qualitative study of second-hand smoke exposure during home-care visits and potential measures to eliminate exposure.","authors":"Rachel O'Donnell, Ruaraidh Dobson, Sean Semple","doi":"10.1093/annweh/wxae069","DOIUrl":"10.1093/annweh/wxae069","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Despite world-leading measures in place to protect employees from second-hand smoke exposure in workplaces in the United Kingdom, workers who deliver health and social care in private homes remain unprotected legally in this setting from second-hand smoke exposure (SHS).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Fourteen individuals took part in either an in-depth telephone interview (n = 11) or an online focus group discussion (n = 3), including home-care workers (n = 5) and managers (n = 5) based in Lanarkshire (Scotland) and local/national policy makers (n = 4). Participants were asked about the extent to which exposure to SHS is an issue during home visits and possible additional measures that could be put in place to eliminate exposure.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants highlighted the difficulties in balancing the provision of care in a person's own home with the right of workers to be able to breathe clean air and be protected from SHS. Current strategies to reduce staff exposure to SHS during home visits were often reported as inadequate with SHS not a hazard considered by managers beyond protecting pregnant staff or those with pre-existing respiratory conditions such as asthma. Simple respiratory protective equipment (as used during the COVID-19 pandemic) was rightly identified as being ineffective. Methods such as nicotine replacement therapy and e-cigarettes were identified as potential ways to help people who smoke achieve temporary asbstinence prior to a home visit.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Implementing appropriate and proportionate measures to protect home-care workers from the harms posed by SHS should be a priority to help protect the health of this often overlooked occupational group.</p>","PeriodicalId":8362,"journal":{"name":"Annals Of Work Exposures and Health","volume":" ","pages":"999-1003"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11586273/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141999378","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Occupational exposure to chrysotile in an asbestos cement factory in Kyrgyzstan.","authors":"Zhyldyz Kurzhunbaeva, Andrea Spinazzè, Davide Campagnolo, Sabrina Rovelli, Giacomo Fanti, Omor Kasymov, Andrea Cattaneo, Claudio Colosio, Domenico M Cavallo","doi":"10.1093/annweh/wxae059","DOIUrl":"10.1093/annweh/wxae059","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>An increasing number of countries are banning the production and use of asbestos, in compliance with the ratification of the C162 Asbestos Convention and the Basel Convention, and in response to the call for its elimination in the ILO resolution and WHO reports on the health risks associated with asbestos. Nevertheless, several countries, including Kyrgyzstan, are still miners and/or manufacturers of asbestos. The main objective of the study is to assess the occupational exposure to chrysotile of workers engaged in a production facility of asbestos-cement products in Kyrgyzstan.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Monitored workers (n = 16, for a total of n = 18 samples) were divided into 3 \"Similar Exposure Groups\" (SEGs; SEG-1: asbestos loading; SEG-2; asbestos-cement mixing; SEG-3: cutting of asbestos-cement sheets) according to EN 689 standard. Samples were collected through personal sampling and subsequently examined by means of scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy-dispersive spectrometer for the compositional analysis of each fibre. The numerical concentration of airborne asbestos fibres was henceforward determined by dividing the number of fibres and the volume of sampled air (expressed in the number of fibres per millilitre of air: ff/ml).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Investigated workers resulted to be exposed to chrysotile fibres. Results (GM ± GSD) outlined extremely high exposure levels for SEG-1 (2.2 ± 2.1 ff/ml) and SEG-3 (4.7 ± 1.6 ff/ml) workers and lower-but still relevant-exposure values for SEG-2 (0.91 ± 2.6 ff/ml) workers.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The results obtained in this case study can help to document potentially critical situations of occupational exposure to asbestos that can still occur nowadays in low and middle-income countries where asbestos is still mined and processed.</p>","PeriodicalId":8362,"journal":{"name":"Annals Of Work Exposures and Health","volume":" ","pages":"992-998"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141625819","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of a radiofrequency electric and magnetic field source-based job-exposure matrix with personal radiofrequency exposure measurements.","authors":"Maxime Turuban, Hans Kromhout, Javier Vila, Frank de Vocht, Miquel Vallbona-Vistós, Isabelle Baldi, Elisabeth Cardis, Michelle C Turner","doi":"10.1093/annweh/wxae072","DOIUrl":"10.1093/annweh/wxae072","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Assessing occupational exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) presents significant challenges due to the considerable variability in exposure levels within and between occupations. This spatial and temporal variability complicates the reliable evaluation of potential health risks associated with RF-EMF exposure in the workplace. Accurate assessment methods are crucial to understand the extent of exposure and to evaluate potential health risks, especially given the potential for higher exposures in occupational settings compared to the general population. This study compares the historical RF-EMF exposure estimates in the INTEROCC RF-EMF job-exposure matrix (RF-JEM) with recent personal measurement data collected in 2 countries as part of the OccRF-Health study, to assess the broader applicability of the RF-JEM.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Weighted kappa (kw) coefficients and Spearman rank correlation tests were performed to assess the alignment between RF-JEM estimates and measurements for 8 h time-weighted average exposure intensity and prevalence estimates across various occupations. The comparisons were mainly based on 22 jobs having ≥5 measured workers in the OccRF-Health study.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Poor agreement was found for both exposure prevalence and intensity between both methods (kw < 0.1). RF-JEM values likely overestimated exposure levels for both electric (E) and magnetic (H) fields (mean percentage difference >194%) compared to current personal measurements.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Findings suggest that the INTEROCC-JEM likely overestimates current exposure intensity levels in the measured jobs. Adopting a semiquantitative JEM could also mitigate misclassification errors due to exposure variability, improving accuracy in exposure assessment. These findings indicate the need for more targeted personal measurements, including among highly exposed workers, and for potentially considering new exposure metrics to more accurately assess occupational RF-EMF exposures in occupational epidemiological research.</p>","PeriodicalId":8362,"journal":{"name":"Annals Of Work Exposures and Health","volume":" ","pages":"951-966"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142340133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}